Challenges Facing Out of Work Veterans

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Sandy Meindersma, GoLocalWorcester Reporter

More than 13,000 veterans were looking for work in Massachusetts last year, and veterans continue to be unemployed at a rate higher than the national average.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a national unemployment rate of 7.1 percent in April 2012 for all veterans aged 18 and over, down from 7.8 percent a year ago.

And while that number is higher the national average of 8.1 percent, Gulf War II veterans (the current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan) have an even higher unemployment rate, 9.2 percent in April, a figure that is also down from April 2011 (10.9 percent).

Unemployment numbers for veterans are only available on a national level, and so there is no definitive count on the number of unemployed veterans. According to Beth Costa, veterans’ employment and training manager at the state Executive Office for Labor and Workforce Development, nearly 13,500 veterans accessed the state’s career centers in 2011, which have staff dedicated to helping vets find work. Of those, 1700 had recently separated from the military.

Costa said veterans who have recently separated from the military may be unemployed for a number of reasons.

“A lot of them are returning to school under the GI Bill, which is really good right now,” Costa said. “Especially the younger ones, we are telling them to go to school. They get a stipend (through unemployment). We tell them ‘this is the time to do it.’
 

Difficulties for Vets Looking for Work

Costa said the biggest issues veterans face while seeking employment are getting their foot in the door and making their military experience relevant to their civilian employers.

“Once on the job, they’re leaders, they have integrity, they’re mission focused, they understand constraints and they can adapt,” she said. “But if their resume is built on military training, civilian employers don’t understand what that means.”

Costa said one soldier who interviewed for a job discussed his navigational skills in response a question about his computer skills. “The civilian interviewing him didn’t understand how sophisticated a computer system it was,” she said.

Rich Turner, manager for employment and training at Veterans Inc., agreed, saying that many HR professionals also lack the understanding of how military service can benefit their companies.

Turner said another barrier to employment for returning veterans face is a lack of direction.

“A lot of the young vets went into the military because they had no direction,” Turner said. “If they don’t find direction in the military, it’s hard to find work when they get out.”

Services for Job-Hunting Vets

Veterans Inc., a Worcester based nonprofit organization originally founded as a shelter for homeless veterans, has a variety of training programs available to veterans who are looking to join the civilian workforce.

“I tell our guys first we need to get you the job you need, so that you can get the job you want,” Turner said.

Programs include basic life skills training, resume writing and interviewing, onsite training in A+ certification for computer desktop support, and basic computer training and skills. Programs are available to residents of the shelter, as well as to veterans who live in the community.

Earnestine George, a veteran who lives at the women’s transitional shelter, had recently started her computer classes.

“I’ve worked with computers before, but this class will help me know how to maneuver around the internet,” she said. “Yesterday we learned about the computer and the internet, and today we are learning about Microsoft Word. I want to get into a green job, and knowing how to use the computer will help me.”

“A+ certification is a great gateway job,” Turner said. “It can lead to network administration and systems support.”

Grants fund certified training programs in healthcare (CNAs and Home Health Care Aides), Commercial Driver training and weatherization programs.

Turner said 28 veterans recently completed a 10 day program in weatherization, where they learned how to conduct energy audits and received several certifications. “This is a great way into a place like National Grid,” he said.

Turner said that job training and placement efforts last year helped 60 percent of the shelter’s residents find work.

“We have about 700 people come through our doors each year,” Turner said. “And our grant for veterans in the community has trained and placed 350 veterans in the last three years.”

 

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